


Yuki, Post-Lich

by KirbyPaint



Series: Tales of Eldrigar [7]
Category: Pathfinder (Roleplaying Game)
Genre: F/F
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-11-05
Updated: 2015-11-05
Packaged: 2018-04-30 04:02:50
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 12,666
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5149562
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/KirbyPaint/pseuds/KirbyPaint
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>What's Yuki been up to after Evelynn's defeat? Read on to find out!</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Wounds Run Deep

Her sword swung through the air, a practiced side-swipe guaranteed to take a real good-sized chunk out of anything in her path. Which, as it happened, was about three zombies. Three zombies clad in the armor of her country, but zombies nonetheless. Within another two slashes, the zombies were dead. Undead?  _Re-dead_ ?  _Whatever_ , she thought,  _the zombies were no longer moving_ . Time to find the next closest enemy, and dispatch with them how she did best. Yuki’d been here before – this dead, cracked plot of land was once lush farmland, dried to a crisp by the Lich only a few months ago.

 

But the Lich was no more. Everyone made sure of that.

 

As Yuki turned to fight more enemies, she ran into a sturdy body. _Someone doesn’t know about personal space on the battlefield._ She took the briefest moment to appraise the person, to decide if the person was a friend or foe, and that brief moment was more than enough for her to recognize the woman standing before her.

_Evelynn…_

 

Yuki gasped in horror as she recognized her ex-friend. Disbelief clouded her thoughts and were it not for her fighter’s gauntlets, she would have dropped her sword in utter shock. She watched helplessly as Evelynn raised a clawed hand, blood dripping from the space between her fingers. Yuki stood, paralyzed, as fear crept over her, seeping into her bones, gripping her in its grasp… and before she could will the fear away as she had done those few times before, Evelyne thrust Yuki’s own sword into her torso-

 

“ _No!!!!_ ” Yuki cried out, sitting up in bed, blankets thrown onto the ground. She could feel the ghost of the dream sword blade still hovering over her chest, ready to strike at any moment. Her body was both hot and cold, the heat pulsing through her as rapidly as her heart, the cold gnawing at her bones and filling the empty space in between beats. She took a few large, gasping breaths and jumped out of bed, stumbling outside into the cool air before kneeling over and vomiting on the ground. Within moments, she felt one cool hand gently tying up her hair as another massaged her back while she expelled the remnants of her dinner onto the wooden porch. After she’d finished being sick and regained control of her body, her companion brought her a glass of water – the easily-refillable glass she left in plain sight for nights as bad as these.

 

It took a few minutes before Yuki dared speak, but when she did, her voice was weak and quavering – not unlike Yuki had been feeling these past few weeks.

 

“You don’t have to help me, Vanessa. These are my issues, I need to work them out, I don’t want to push my shit on you.”

 

“I accepted your offer of travel,” she replied in a tone that suggested she’d given this rebuttal more than a few times, “and believe it or not, you’re my friend. And friends help each other through the bad times, and if bad times include helping wash… _stuff_ off the ground when my friend has panic attacks, well… so be it, I’m here. Go get washed up, I’ve got this,” Vanessa finished, and with a wave of her hands, she shooed Yuki toward the bathroom to get cleaned up.

 

After everything was mostly settled, and Yuki had her comfy blanket and a hot cup of tea, which Vanessa had so _graciously_ brewed, she lied down on the couch for a bit of rest. Not sleep, no, not after a nightmare like that, but rest to soothe her midsection and mind. Vanessa joined her on the couch, scooting in close to soothe the shivers coming from the ex-princess.

 

“Do you want me to stay up with you?” she asked, clearly not wanting to be tired in the morning but willing to go through with it if it meant Yuki could catch a break.

 

“No, no, you can go to bed, I’ll be okay. We need to be up early to get to the next town before nightfall, and I’ve got a lot of power in my body that’ll keep me going. But thanks, it… it means a lot to me.”

 

Vanessa wasn’t convinced, but she also wanted to go to bed. Still, she cared deeply – _perhaps too deeply??_ – for the woman huddled on the couch, so she stayed a few minutes longer, anyway. But after the adrenaline had fully worn off, Vanessa stood up, taking Yuki’s now-empty cup to the kitchen for a refill. She placed the refilled cup back on the table, noting Yuki’s far-off expression, and gently tapped her shoulder to bring her back.

 

“Hey, I’m heading to my room, but if you need me, go ahead and knock on my door. I’m just right next-door and I’ll-”

 

“Wait!” Yuki nearly yelled, “I changed my mind, please stay? I don’t want to be alone again after… after _that_ …” She shuddered once more then looked at her friend, “I mean… if you don’t mind. I won’t make you stay.”

 

“Oh, no, Yuki, of course I’ll stay with you. Just let me go get my things? It’ll only be a moment.”

 

“Okay.”

 

Within five minutes, the entirety of Vanessa’s belongings had been moved into Yuki’s room. She dragged her rather small bag with one arm, and clutched her pillow with the other. (The inn they stayed at had pillows, but Vanessa wasn’t fond of placing her head where other peoples’ heads had been.) The fleeting thought that they might as well have bought just the one room crossed her mind, but she shrugged that thought off – Yuki hadn’t had any sort of attack in over two weeks now, there was no reason to expect one tonight. She dropped her bag off where Yuki’s was, and threw her pillow on the bed, but before she could head to bed, Yuki called for her again.

 

“Can you… stay on the couch with me… if it’s no trouble?” She hadn’t raised her head to look at Vanessa, and Vanessa could tell that simple request had pulled a lot out of the poor woman.

 

“Of course,” she nodded, waves of sympathy flowing over her and she grabbed the pillow off of the bed, to be brought to the couch. “But you’ll need to make room, I like to stretch out a bit. It’s nice to stretch my legs, you know?”

 

“That must feel great. Feeling them again.”

 

Vanessa smirked at her, though the smirk went unnoticed, “For the first time, Yuki, I’m feeling my legs _for the first time_. I can walk, run, and sit, all by myself. And even three months later, it all still feels so new. I feel so useful.”

 

“I’m glad you do,” she responded as she adjusted herself to allow Vanessa some room. The two lie down on the couch, Vanessa wiggling around to get comfortable around Yuki (who, she noticed, still seemed to be _very uncomfortably warm_ , even with the window open), and after a few seconds the two had settled onto the couch in a mostly-comfortable position.

 

“Are you sure this is okay?” Yuki asked, breaking the silence.

 

“Except for the fact that you’re like a human fireplace, yeah, I’ll be okay. You’re softer than you look, considering how muscly you are,” her couch-mate responded.

 

“I can flex for you if you want, there’s no point in having these amazing muscles if there’s no one to show off to.”

 

“You get some sleep, and then you can flex for me all you want tomorrow, okay?”

 

Vanessa felt Yuki quietly laugh beneath her.

 

“You’d better promise me that, because I’ll remember this conversation tomorrow, and if I don’t get to flex, I’m going to be a very upset woman.”

 

Vanessa smiled, satisfied that Yuki’s mood seemed to be picking back up, and that she’d been a large part of that. When Vanessa lived at home, she made a point to end every day on a happy note, and even though she was no longer at home, she intended to keep that habit.

 

“I promise.”

 

Vanessa was asleep within minutes, while Yuki took much longer to reach unconsciousness. As she felt herself once more nearing the void of sleep, she thought about her ever-so-considerate friend and how she was truly turning out to be just as much an angel as Grace had been.

 

Maybe even more so.


	2. Sanctuary

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Yuki finds comfort in Vanessa. Vanessa maybe finds comfort in Yuki, as well.

Sanctuary

 

Within four months of the Battle of Vaisura (as Vanessa had grown accustomed to referring to it), she and Yuki had settled down on the northernmost continent. Using most of Yuki’s remaining funds, they’d bought a small cabin in the woods, and it had become their new home. Overnight, Yuki unloaded the bags and arranged things to the best of her ability. Her phenomenal strength was key in moving the bed out of the window’s, and therefore _sun’s_ , line of sight. She also, with only minor snags, successfully maneuvered the couch into the bedroom as well.

 

Ever since Yuki’s last nightmare, the one involving Evelynn (though which ones didn’t?), Vanessa had taken it upon herself to ensure the older woman was never alone, and she’d been fairly successful so far. Ever since the two started sleeping together ( _quite platonically!_ ) Yuki hadn’t had a bad night.

 

_“I’ve been sharing a living space with others for most of my life. I don’t do lonely very well,” she confessed on the fourth night. Vanessa hadn’t spoken, only gripped her friend tighter._

 

And that’s what they were. Just friends. But Vanessa knew better than that, and she knew Yuki did too. See, Vanessa hadn’t been in control of her body during Grace’s time renting the place, but she was still aware of what happened, and she was very aware of Yuki’s affections. Maybe Grace _hadn’t_ been aware, but Vanessa always suspected the angel was wiser than she’d let on. Either way, Yuki was no good at concealing her feelings about anything, so even one as naïve to the world as Vanessa could tell that the princess – _ex_ -princess – had romantic feelings for her.

 

And if Vanessa was being totally honest with herself, she… kind of had feelings for Yuki, too. She wasn’t initially sure of the extent of the feelings, having had few friends in the past, but when she woke up alone one day with the feeling something in her chest was sorely missing, she realized Yuki was more than just a friend to her.

 

So Vanessa knew Yuki desired her, and she felt the same way, but was Yuki aware of _her_ feelings? From their four months together, she gathered that Yuki wasn’t as empathetic as she’d like to be. That, coupled with her tendency to proudly wear her heart on her sleeve made for quite the egotistical impression.

 

She wasn’t like that, though. In the four months that Vanessa knew Yuki, she knew that Yuki would drop _everything_ if she needed her to. Yuki really cared, she just… couldn’t express that well. Or at all sometimes.

 

_“I still wonder how he is, you know.”_

_“Your brother?” she asked, looking up from her novel._

_“Yeah. He wouldn’t even talk to me afterward. I tried, but… he was done with me the moment I was done with Ryu-Teikoku. But I still worry about him.”_

_She placed her arm around Yuki’s broad shoulders. “He’s more than a capable fighter.”_

_“I meant mentally. He wasn’t in the best condition when we left, I just… I wish he knew how sorry I was, how sorry I **am**. You know?”_

_“Not really, no, but I can imagine.”_

_“But I just, I-I couldn’t go back.”_

_“What stopped you?”_

_Yuki sighed, deeply, and gave no more answers. The conversation was dropped._

Vanessa put down the mug she was holding – it was carved by Yuki on an exceptionally long expedition out of some fallen tree she hacked to bits for a peasant family. She used a dull dagger, she noted, and it probably made the carving three times harder than it should have been, but Yuki whittled that wood like it was nothing – and to her, it probably was. The mug was very nice, almost good-looking enough to sell, had either woman needed to. The carvings on the underside might arouse curiosity, though. In tribute to her friends, she carved everyone’s initials into the bottom of the mug, and Vanessa knew Yuki missed them more than she let on. Even Tenna’s initials were there, and from what little Yuki told of her, they didn’t get along.

 

_“They’re getting married, though, and my feelings towards Tenna can be pushed aside for their happiness.”_

_“But what about your happiness?”_

She walked into her – their – bedroom, expecting the room to be finished. What she didn’t expect was to see Yuki gazing into her palm, tears streaming silently down her face.

 

“Oh my Goddess, are you okay?” Vanessa rushed to her side, ready to embrace the upset woman when she needed it.

 

“I’m fine,” Yuki clearly lied, “it’s just… I made this for his birthday, but we fought, and I meant to give it to him, but I couldn’t ever find time, or I kept forgetting to and… I guess I forgot I had this.” Yuki presented her with the smallish carving. It was of two people holding hands, and it was done well enough to clearly be Yuki and Ryota, though it lacked the finer details. Still, Vanessa was quite impressed.

 

“Why’d you fight that time?”

 

“Wow, um… that was, that was the week his family all got their heads blown off-” she paused, checking to see how startled Vanessa was to hear that. Her eyes widened, but she wasn’t outwardly panicking, so Yuki continued, “-and I was being insensitive, apparently.”

 

“ _Were_ you being insensitive?”

 

“Maybe?”

 

“ **Hmm???** ”

 

“Okay, I didn’t go ever go over to him to comfort him, but I thought he’d come to me! He’s quiet, that’s just what quiet people do, they like their space. But then I got shit for not being there, so then next time something happened, I went straight to him, but that also was the wrong thing to do! Nothing I could do was right for him.”

 

“He sounds kind of… not great,” she said, carefully phrasing her words so as not to upset Yuki any further.

 

“No, he just… I don’t get him. I didn’t grow up with him, hardly knew him, hell, one time I didn’t even recognize him.” Yuki looked back down at the wood carving. “Can you believe that? Sometimes I just can’t recognize people that I’m close to.”

 

_“So… you killed her.”_

_“Ryota dealt the final blow, but I gave the command, so it may as well have been me. But then, later, we found out that it wasn’t even her that died. It was like her twin, only they were stored underground and there were five of them.”_

_“Clones?”_

_“…I don’t know what that is…”_

_“Something from a book I read, I’ll explain later. But wow, that must have crushed you. Thinking you killed the woman you loved. What happened when you got her out from underground?”_

_“…”_

_“Oh.”_

_“She’s too close, she… I… I can’t.”_

Vanessa took the carving from Yuki, placed it on a small table that was actually set up, and just embraced Yuki. She knew there was nothing she could say to make her feel better, but there were things she could _do_. And Yuki was fond of physical comforting. _But maybe I could do more…_

 

She lay them both down on the bed, still embracing, but this way no one’s back would ache from leaning weirdly. Vanessa took Yuki’s face in her hands and brushed away any remaining tears and streaks, then gently kissed her cheek. She felt Yuki turn into a puddle in her hands and knew that she’d be using this strategy more often. After placing a few more kisses on Yuki’s forehead and hands, she looked her straight in her eyes. Her bright, almost _glowing_ green eyes.

 

“I love you, you know that, right?”

 

“Why?”

 

“Why not?”

 

“Well,” she groaned, “I’m messed up. I’m a terrible person, I’ve lost all my friends, my dad probably hates me, Ryota clearly hates me, and my mom definitely also hates me if she’s still around somewhere, _aaaaand_ I’ve turned my back on my kingdom _twice_ now. All I am is ridiculously amazing with a sword. And I can understand a lot of languages, for some reason.”

 

“You fought to save the world, though. That’s going to have its price, but that’s also one of the most incredible things a person could do. You risked your life for not just your people, but everyone on the planet. You faced incredible hardships and you’ve lost a lot, I won’t deny that. You’re strong, you care, even if other people can’t tell, and you’re the reason I’m even out here. I mean, Grace made it so I can walk, but _you_ are the one who made sure I’d have a place to go. You’ve been taking care of me since we left together. And that means I get to take care of you, and help you, and _love_ you, you incredible, brave, crazy woman.”

 

That did the trick. Somewhere in the middle of Vanessa’s speech Yuki began to grin, and even blush at the insane (to her) amount of compliments. Really, any more than one, and Yuki became a mess. But Yuki knew her words were genuine, and if anything that made everything worse, because the words weren’t just meant to comfort, they were real.

 

“And you know what else? You don’t owe your country anything.”

 

“That’s not tr-”

 

“No, listen to me. Please. From what I’ve heard of your upbringing, there were two people in the entire empire that you truly cared about. At this point, they’re both dead. During your time there, you got a cool sword, and it’s beautiful, but you also got bruises, angst, and eventually a banishment because your mother was being a bitch. And no one questioned the sudden banishment of the princess?”

 

“Ex-princess.”

 

“Whatever, no one came for you. And you busted your ass to get back, once you knew it was safe, and mind you that announcement came with your parents’ deaths announcement.”

 

“I remember.”

 

“So then you try to go home, and your mom is alive, inexplicably, and your dad lives in your half-brother’s armband, and there’s a lich trying to end the world who needs your country’s people… And then you get back, your mother’s pulled some bullshit to gain the support of a bunch of traitors who kill their own kind, your country begins to collapse in on itself, and your brother wonders why you don’t want to go back? That place is practically cursed!”

 

“It’s really not that bad…”

 

“Oh yeah? Name one person who got out of there unscarred.”

 

“I bet Kohaku is probably fine…”

 

“My point is, no one person should have to shoulder all of that. Hell, no ten people should. Your country is very demanding and needs the support of everyone for it to function correctly, and from the looks of things, it was going down long before you could have come back. I’m almost certain, had you returned, there still would have been no hope.”

 

“I still feel guilty…”

 

“Do you?” She quirked an inquisitive eyebrow at the woman still in her arms. “Do you really feel guilty for leaving?”

 

“…no. No. No, I don’t feel guilty. I feel like I _should_ feel guilty, but I feel nothing like that. If anything… I feel free. No more obligations held over my head, no more duty, no more _any of that_. I can _breathe_ , I can-I can do things for myself. I can do what I want. I can make decisions, and the only consequences are to me and, like, you. Which is so _little_.”

 

“You know what, at this point, fuck the consequences, what on this planet could hurt you right now anyway?”

 

“Probably this,” she grinned, and leaned in to kiss Vanessa.

 

Vanessa had no kissing experience. No _actual_ kissing experience. She didn’t really count cheek or forehead or arm or nose kisses as actual kisses, because that required no technique and was simply placing her face on another person’s body. All she knew was the theory, and that was all in the books she read, which weren’t terribly descriptive. She thought she’d prepared herself, though, for the day someone _might_ want to date her.

 

What she found, though, was the books were completely wrong. Well, technically they were right. Lips did meet with other lips. But the feelings, the incredible warmth spreading from her head to her feet, the sensation of becoming whole, as if she’d been incomplete before (and she knew that feeling very well), all of that was left out of the stories, and thus, the stories were wrong. They were right in the respect that it would only be a few seconds, and Yuki broke off the kiss before Vanessa could organize her thoughts.

 

“I-I’m sorry, I thought-”

 

“Thought what?” she asked, though she knew what Yuki was going to say.

 

“I thought you… might… maybe… want me. As more than a friend. ‘Friends’ rarely kiss their ‘friends’ while snuggled up with them on a bed. If I made things weird, I can move the couch back out…”

 

“No, everything is fine. Great, actually. Super, wonderful, glorious, fantastic, magnificent. I could go on.”

 

“Wait, you’re okay with… this?” Yuki hesitantly asked, motioning between what space was left in between the two of them. Vanessa wasn’t yet over the rush, but it was coming down, so she figured she could respond fully again.

 

“Yeah, I am so much more than ‘okay’ with this. I’ve been wondering for a while now how to approach you, but I just… didn’t know what to do. I figured you’d crack soon enough though, and it turned out I was right, though I didn’t realize how right I’d be, so fast.”

 

“So what you are saying is you would like to perhaps maybe kiss some more?”

 

“Yes, but this time, you stay longer so I can figure out what I’m doing, ‘kay?”

 

Yuki bolted upright, realizing yet again how young Vanessa really was. “Oh, you-of course, you’re hardly eighteen-”

 

“And a half!”

 

“-and you didn’t get out much. Aww, I was your first,” she cooed, “and I’m so old.”

 

“Well feel free to use your elderly knowledge to teach me everything you know, I’m not getting any younger,” Vanessa said, and Yuki could only laugh before obliging. The two didn’t spend much longer on the bed, for the rest of the house needed to be set up, but it was set up in a rather cheery environment, and Vanessa… well… honestly she couldn’t wait to get to bed.


	3. Date Night 2: Date Harder

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> There was a Date Night 1. Yuki doesn't bring that up anymore.

Six months into knowing Vanessa, and two months into being in a relationship with her, and Yuki couldn’t be happier. They got along swimmingly, complemented each other, and hadn’t yet had a serious fight. Needless to say, the honeymoon period was going strong.

 

And that’s why they were on a date. Yuki didn’t need a reason to take Vanessa out, but it was fun for them to dress nice and pretend they’re normal and ­­ _didn’t_ play a part in saving the world from destruction. Yuki had found a nice red-and-black dress near the capitol that she just ­­ _had_ to have if formalwear was needed, and Vanessa had picked up a few of her own, being more fond of the blue ones.

 

Before leaving, Yuki took a long look at her sword. _Dare I risk the attention?_ She almost strapped it on but then thought of how suspicious it would be to take a greatsword into a crowded diner. _We’ll be fine for a night_. Still, she slipped a dagger and holster on her inner thigh, thinking that it’d be best to cover her bases. _Worst-case scenario, I throw fire at someone_.

 

“Are you ready? I want to get there before dinner rush; I hear the seafood is to die for.”

 

“More like to _dine_ for,” Yuki snickered, putting on her boots. Vanessa stomped into the room, dress half-done-up, just to deliver Yuki a death glare. Once she made sure Yuki was appropriately chastised for her bad word humor, she continued to put on her dress, only this time with Yuki’s help.

 

“What, you don’t like puns?” she asked, tying up the back laces of Vanessa’s dress.

 

“It’s not that I don’t like them, it’s just that it’s one of the lowest forms of verbal comedy.”

 

“What are you talking about?”

 

“Well,” Vanessa started, “along with lame jokes and terrible innuendos, puns are the easiest way to play with words. Try some gross overstatements or understatements, or better yet, a malaphor.”

 

Yuki furrowed her brow as she tied the final knot to the dress. _Those can’t all be real words._ “…You are cute and smart and I assume your words would mean more to a better-read person. But I, _me_ , do not know what you’re talking about, as I am a warrior who hasn’t read a book in far too long. You can explain what you’re talking about on the walk there – your dress is done and I want to die for the seafood.”

 

Her words were met with an eye roll a beholder would be jealous of. “You know that’s not what I said, or meant. Now,” she held her elbow out for Yuki to take, “shall we?”

 

“Yes,” she deadpanned, chuckling as Vanessa sighed. “We shall,” she added, noting Vanessa’s slight grin that she couldn’t hide even though she was obviously trying.

 

* * *

 

 

“…and the end of it’s just phenomenal, he just begs for Galabari to feel remorse for his actions, and then Egora and his friends cast an empathy spell on him to make him feel all of the pain he’s caused, _and that’s like a hundred years of pain_ , and then Galabari’s hurting so bad he just kills himself.”

 

“Just like that?”

 

“Yeah, he just can’t take it anymore. Boom.”

 

“And that’s how your favorite book ends?”

 

Vanessa nodded. “Well, there’s a bit of a wind-down, but yeah, that’s it.”

 

“Huh. You read a lot of weird books.”

 

“Gotta do something when you can’t walk.”

 

Yuki just shrugged, not sure where to go with that. “Yeah, I guess.”

 

“Oh come on, you’re saying you wouldn’t read books if something happened that made you unable to fight?”

 

“I’m not saying that,” she paused before choosing her next words, trying to make them as least offensive as possible, “I am just saying that I would like my books to be more… satisfying. Galwhatever exploding wasn’t that great of an ending.”

 

“To you!” the other girl cried out. “I personally loved the ending! Making him feel so bad about all the anguish he’s caused throughout the century was such a powerful move that it got him to take his own life. Just stabbing him wouldn’t have killed him. It had to be good.”

 

“Maybe if Egora was a trained fighter, he’d know where to hit to fatally wound, instead of swiping randomly at the air!”

 

“Oh my Goddess, you’re still mad about that?”

 

“ _The actors were demonstrating improper technique!_ ”

 

“ _It was a **play** , and no one cared but you!_”

 

“Oh, hey, we’re here, we’ll take a table for two,” she said, and the busboy at the counter seemed relieved to not have to deal with the bickering women. They’d had that discussion before – the one where the actors in the life story of Kieran the Great didn’t know how to properly fight, but Vanessa nearly managed to calm Yuki down, before she took one of the weapons and demonstrated proper technique. It took an escort of four men to get Yuki out of the building, and that was only because Vanessa pleaded with her not to fight them.

 

­“ _It’s not like that though, you have to have a firmer stance, otherwise you’d get knocked over!”_

_“Ma’am we’re going to need you to get off of the stage, please.”_

_“No, just let me show – see, like this – oh, no I know what I’m doing, I’m trained in this – you don’t need to – hey PUT ME DOWN I AM JUST TRYING TO TEACH YOU SAFETY-”_

_“Yuki, don’t hurt them!”_

 

“And now we can’t go there ever again, thanks to you,” Vanessa quipped, though she knew many better places for theatre, and she didn’t really feel bad about being banned.

 

“I was just trying to help,” she responded, “it’s not my fault if they didn’t want my help.”

 

“Sweetheart, they were afraid of your help. Your help was threatening their lives. They ran from your help.”

 

Their busboy sat them down, leaving some menus and water, and he promised a waiter would be there shortly. Vanessa skipped straight to the seafood, attempting to find the “to-die-for” meal, and was happy when it was only two gold, instead of the four she thought it might be.

 

“Hey, want to try it? I know you aren’t into shellfish, but I promise you this is something else. Plus, if you won’t eat it, I know I will.”

 

“Eh, why not, what’s a date night for, if not surprises?”

 

* * *

 

Thirty minutes later, and Yuki found out _exactly_ what a date night was for, if it wasn’t for surprises. The food was excellent; having been served only ten minutes before, Yuki was sure that the “To-Die-For Platter” was aptly named, because if anyone dared touch her plate they were sure to die for it. Even Vanessa got her fair share of glares when she reached out to steal a shrimp, only to find her wrist in a vice grip. If she didn’t know Yuki wouldn’t ever really harm her, she’d have been terrified. The two enjoyed their meal over casual conversation (save for the shrimp incident) and all was well.

 

Which is what should have tipped Yuki off.

 

Just before finishing off her last shrimp, a small group of bandits burst through the front door, knocking it clean off its hinges. Two of the group brandished short swords, the third wielded two daggers, and a fourth was clumsily trying to use his longbow indoors. Their loud entrance caused the diner to fall silent, but one woman’s panicked scream caused the entire place to break out into an uproar.

 

The front-most swordsman wasn’t having that. “Everyone _shut up_ right now or I’ll be taking more than just the food and money tonight!”

 

“Damn it, I knew I should have brought my sword,” Yuki whispered, but before Vanessa could cover her mouth, the bandit closest to her brandished a dagger.

 

“What’d you say, _girl_?”

 

Vanessa looked wide-eyed at Yuki, silently begging her not to get caught up in any of this, but both of them knew better than to think she _wouldn’t_ try to fight.

 

“I said, _boy_ , I wish I had brought my sword, but then, that would be an unfair fight, me versus you.” She clenched her hands into fists, gently but obviously flexing, ever grateful that her dress was sleeveless. If the man noticed her aggression, he didn’t show it.

 

“You think you could take me? You got no weapons, and you’ll ruin your pretty dress. No, why don’t you sit down right there and let us do what we came here for.”

 

“Easy, Thane, she’s just trying to rile you up,” the leader said. “Don’t go makin’ no dumb moves, we’re taking the money and food and that’s it.”

 

“Yuki, do something,” Vanessa whispered from under the table.

 

Normally, Yuki’s idea of something would be to slice these guys to pieces. It’s worked before, but since she fought the Lich, she’s found herself not liking fighting as much. At least, not the ending people’s lives part. The thrill was still there but she didn’t fight to kill anymore. Plus, she only had her blunt-ass dagger, and that was an absolute last resort weapon.

 

So instead, she took a deep breath and reached for the power she knew she held within. The power that could make her appear incredibly charming, truthful, or in this case, _scary as fuck_. She stood at her full 5’ _11_ height (okay, she stood slightly on tiptoe to do that, but she was still getting taller!!), and with every ounce of her natural regal aura combined with the knowledge that she could destroy everyone in this room without a doubt, she moved toward the bandits and spoke.

 

“I don't know who you are. I don't care what you want. If you are looking for money, I don’t have it, but I can tell you where it's at. What I do have are a very particular set of skills, skills I have acquired over a very long career. Skills that make me a nightmare for people like you. If you go now, that'll be the end of it. I will not look for you, I will not pursue you. But if you don't, I will look for you, I will find you, and I will kill you.”

 

The diner was again reduced to silence, only this time with more jaws dropped at the sight of the woman reducing the bandits nearly to tears. No one screamed, no one yelled, and Vanessa only rolled her eyes because she knew exactly which book Yuki had stolen her “scary” quote from. Apparently the bandits weren’t as well-read as they could have been, because all of them immediately dropped or sheathed their weapons, and the leader whimpered a bit before immediately fleeing. His crew apparently didn’t think he’d do that, but as soon as they realized he was gone, they were gone too, the bow guy being the only one to spare a glance back at the now-seated Yuki. A few patrons allegedly heard him whisper a soft “damn” before he left.

 

Once the bandits were completely gone and Yuki handed the dropped weapons to the manager, she picked up her last shrimp and ate it, sad that the mood had to be ruined.

 

“These shrimp were so pure, yet their memory is now tainted. Good bye shrimp, you will be missed,” she pouted as she stood up to leave.

 

“You’re so dramatic, there’s no good reason we can’t have some more shrimp another day,” Vanessa replied, unclenching Yuki’s hand and replacing the warrior’s tense fist with her own fingers, “would it make you feel better if we took some with us?”

 

“We can take shrimp?”

 

“Yes, just order another plate, but ask for it in a container so we can carry it home.”

 

“What a world,” she responded, as she headed over to the chef to place another order. “Hi, can you make another “To-Die-For” meal, but put it in a box so I can take it home?”

 

The chef only nodded, fearing anything he said could set off the powerful woman before him. He promptly set himself to making the meal, and Vanessa joined Yuki with waiting near the kitchen.

 

“Don’t look now, but everyone’s staring at you,” she muttered, wrapping her arm around Yuki’s waist, “they’re all afraid of you. Or impressed. Most of them look ready to run out of here if you so much as look at them. So don’t look.”

 

“I won’t look if you stop telling me not to look. That is the number one way to get someone to look at something, is to tell them not to.”

 

“Um, excuse me,” an older voice asked from off to the left, “I’m Wilson, I’m the manager here. I just wanted to thank you for getting rid of those hooligans earlier, and without causing any damage! Let me tell you, last time ruffians came here, it was a real mess, I tell you… Anyway, I was just here to thank you and to let you know that, should you ever come here again, your next meal is on me.”

 

“Does that offer extend to my girlfriend? Because I won’t be dining here alone.”

 

“Sure, any friend of yours is a friend of mine! Erron, give the lady a double, no extra charge.” He turned to Yuki and Vanessa, realizing something important. “Hey, wait… I never got your name.”

 

“You may call me Snow,” she said, cringing at her need to use a false name. Her titles were a source of pride and honor – now, only shame and danger.

 

“Oh I may, heh?” Wilson grinned, elbowing Yuki in her side, causing her to wince in discomfort. He then turned to Vanessa, “You keep your eye on this one, she’s feisty! She’ll snap up a suitor in a heartbeat.”

 

“We’ll see about that,” she replied, and when she said that she could feel Yuki shaking, trying to hold in her laughter.

 

The food was finished cooking, and Yuki placed five gold on the counter, hoping the large tip would convince more people she meant no harm. They took the food, waved goodbye to Wilson, and headed back home.

 

“I brought a dagger just in case this night went bad,” Yuki mentioned once they were clear of any large-eared bystanders. “I’m glad I didn’t need to use it.”

 

“You brought weapons to dinner?”

 

“ _Just in case_! Notice the bandits _also_ brought weapons to dinner.”

 

Vanessa shrugged then nodded. Yuki _did_ have a point. “You still could have warned me.”

 

“How? ‘Hey there’s an incredibly blunt dagger up my dress, if someone attacks us you have my permission to reach your hand up there and grab it.’”

 

“Are you saying you _wouldn’t_ want my hand up your dress?”

 

Yuki flushed but continued speaking, “I don’t think that’s appropriate dinner conduct. And if you’re going to learn how to fight with a dagger, it won’t be blunt, and it’ll be on _your_ body.” She took a look around, ensuring the coast was clear, before pulling Vanessa behind a nearby tree and pinning her against it. “And if you ever suggest slipping your hand up my nice, fancy dress again, there won’t be _anything_ on your body but me.” Vanessa smiled almost evilly, more than satisfied with the reaction she coaxed from the other woman. She pecked Yuki on her lips before slipping out from her grasp and returning to the walking path, leaving behind an incredibly confused Yuki.

 

“Come on, we need to get home before nightfall, it’s the Thirteenth, and you don’t have any good weapons.”

 

“Oh I’m coming,” she groaned, shaking her mind free of all the dumb, dirty, sexy stuff Vanessa made her think about.

 

“What?” she asked.

 

“N-nothing, I said I’m on my way.” She took another deep breath before rejoining her girlfriend on the main path. “When did you learn to be such a vixen?”

 

“I read a lot of books, my dear, and some of those books may have been for audiences older than myself. A girl’s gotta learn somehow, and even if most of the ‘classy seductress’ lines I memorized are for men, I find with enough time, I can make things work. I always knew I’d have to be witty for my future husband, since my body isn’t anything special.”

 

“What do you mean, ‘not anything special?’ Half a minute ago you single-handedly had me almost literally in the palm of your hand.”

 

“Because of my words, though, not my body.”

 

That furrowed Yuki’s brows. “Not your body?” She grabbed one of Vanessa’s hands and placed it on her chest, above her heart. “Do you feel this? How my heart is _racing_? That is entirely thanks to you and your antics, and I am including _every last bit of you_. From your beautiful, silky raven hair to your weirdly short toes, I love all of you. You do this,” she pressed Vanessa’s hand down harder, closer to her pulse, “just by existing.”

 

“That was… _thank you_ , that was so sweet. But I’m going to cry if you keep saying sweet things, so we should really be getting home.”

 

“Hey, if a werewolf shows his furry mug, let him at me. I’m immune to their bites.”

 

“How… never mind, powerful blood.”

 

“No, that was before we gained a lot of essence.”

 

“I meant your genetics, if you really are the heir of dragons, you’re going to be – shit, I should have thought…”

 

Yuki sighed, “It’s fine. It’s not like that’s not true. I’m the heir, I’m the original queen re-incarnate. What’s done is done. I couldn’t go back. Not now. Maybe not ever. Doesn’t mean I don’t have strong blood.”

 

“I’m sorry-”

 

“Please just drop it?”

 

“Sure.”

 

The rest of the walk was made in silence, a rather uncomfortable one, but as Yuki didn’t look outwardly angry, Vanessa figured that she’d be okay before bed. And she was, once she got into her sleepwear with a nice glass of water and the rest of the take-out that wasn’t eaten on the walk home.

 

“I’m sorry for snapping at you earlier.”

 

“It’s okay, I shouldn’t have brought it up. I know that’s tough for you.”

 

“And I know you know that, so I shouldn’t get so mad. It’s just so hard, sometimes, to think about me a decade ago, and me now. We’re so different.”

 

“Hey… a decade ago, I was eight, had no friends, with no hope of leaving my town. Now, I’m an adult, who has the best girlfriend ever, who gets to adventure with her working legs. Things happen, you just have to roll with the punches.”

 

“I guess you’re right. I am the best girlfriend ever.”

 

“Save it or I’m withholding the rest of the shrimps.”

 

“Noooo…”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> date night 1 may have been with her first gf... but that's a tragic story.


	4. Oh, It's You

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> An old friend comes to visit. Accidentally, of course.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> TECHNICALLY UNFINISHED but I tried

“Psst… Hey… I think there’s someone outside. Yuki, heeeey, please get up!”

 

The frantically-prodded Yuki finally rolled over, and, registering there seemed to be a problem, sat up.

 

“What seems to be the problem,” she groaned, her displeasure at being woken up at earlier-than-the-sun-o’ clock visibly apparent.

 

“Yuki, I’m pretty sure there’s someone outside, I heard them complaining and I’ve been trying to wake you for like five minutes, just please take a look?”

 

Vanessa’s frantic pleading finally got through Yuki’s brain, and with a well-practiced demeanor she gathered clothes and her sword. Within ten seconds she was outside, weapon at the ready. She took a few seconds to listen, but heard nothing.

 

“No one’s here.”

 

“Wait, just a few more seconds! I swear there’s someone there.”

 

So Yuki waited a few more seconds, and sure enough, she heard the voice. Someone was _definitely_ nearby, and from the tone of their voice, they were not happy.

 

“Stay here, I’ll be right back. Lock the door and wait for my knock. Don’t answer to anyone else.”

 

“Okay. Come back soon?”

 

“You know it.”

 

Yuki moved toward the intruder with care, ensuring her stealth was maintained. The voice grew louder and its mutters became more and more intelligible.

 

“Stupid… trees everywhere… and I don’t know where anything is… RRAAAGGGH!!!” Whoever was here was apparently lost and very upset. Yuki lowered her sword carefully, aware that this person might not be a threat. _That voice is so familiar_.

 

She was within ten feet of the intruder when suddenly the voice went silent. Yuki didn’t think she stepped on anything or made any noises, but the source of the voice was aware she was there. _Might as well get it over with_ … She stepped quite obviously out of the trees, sure that her demeanor put the stranger on edge, but she was willing to make the first move if it meant she could analyze the other person for threats.

 

“Hey, I heard you from a ways off and I... don't... see anyone here. Huh.” Whoever was here a moment ago certainly wasn't now, as Yuki found herself in an empty clearing. The hairs on the back of her neck tingled, so she raised her sword in preparation. “I mean you no harm; if you show yourself, I can lead you to a safe place.”

 

“Psh, like _you’d_ want to give me a safe place.”

 

That prickly feeling moved from the back of her neck into the back of her mind. _I know I know this voice!! But who could be here?_

 

“Please, show yourself, this doesn’t have to come to a fight!” she shouted, trying to goad the stranger out from her – the voice was distinctively female – hiding place. Yuki glanced around to find her target, but she was too well hidden in the darkness to be seen.

 

"You’d have to find me first, Yucky.”

 

* * *

 

“Tenna, I can’t believe I’m saying this, but I’m so glad it’s you.” Yuki’s muscles loosened in relief and she let her sword slump to the ground as she turned to face her old ally. Tenna dropped from a nearby tree, landing silently on the ground with the help of her wings. She stretched an arm behind her back, smirking slyly at the sleep-deprived woman.

 

“I didn’t think you’d actually refrain from attacking me. I’m impressed.”

 

“Do you really think I’d just stab you with no provocation?”

 

Tenna laughed. “It’s happened before. I can never be sure with you.”

 

“I’m a different person now,” she replied, “A lot’s changed since we last saw each other. But that’s a conversation for a later time. I have a cabin not far from here, would you like a place to stay the night?”

 

“Wow, and here I thought you didn’t like me.” Tenna proceeded to faux-inspect her nails, eventually agreeing to the proposition. “But no funny business. A bed, maybe I take some of your food, then you tell me where I ended up and I leave.”

 

“Can’t you just leave now, then?” she asked.

 

“Unfortunately for you, no. Gating to the plane of Darkness is no small task, and sometimes, as you can see, it goes wrong. I’ll need the night to recharge, but I won’t be bothering you for long.”

 

“It’s okay, you can take more time than that to rest, if you need.”

 

“I have to get going anyway, I want to get back to Ry- _boyfriend_ , my boyfriend you don’t know and have never met.”

 

Yuki sighed. “You can say his name, I won’t break. We’re here, anyway.” She stepped up to the door, knocked twice, paused, then knocked four more times. A voice called from behind the door.

 

“Yuki? Is that you?”

 

“Yeah, it’s me,” she responded, as Tenna quirked an eyebrow, “and I have company.”

 

The door opened, revealing Vanessa holding a cup of something. She smiled at seeing Yuki back safe, then nearly jumped as she saw the demon following her. But it wasn’t just that – she very clearly remembered this demon. In fact, she hadn’t seen this demon in seven months.

 

"Grace,” the demon said.

 

“Tenna,” ex-Grace replied, “it’s Vanessa, remember? Grace was borrowing my body.”

 

Tenna paused, squinting in thought as Yuki walked into the kitchen to fetch some snacks. “I don’t really remember, that was so long ago. Ryota and I left almost as soon as the fight was over, when Yuki decided not to go home.”

 

“Yeah, you probably shouldn’t bring that up here-”

 

“It’s fine,” Yuki said, walking out with her hands full. “It happened, there’s no reason you can’t talk about it. Whether _I’d_ like to is a different story.” She placed the snacks, a loaf of bread, some honey, and some dried meats, on a plate, then pushed it toward Tenna. Tenna admired the plate’s contents, then grabbed the jerky, pushing the rest back to Yuki. She ate a few strips of the meat, dipped one in honey, then decided perhaps those foods were separated for a reason.

 

“ _Do you_ talk about it?” Tenna questioned the ex-princess.

 

“Not if I can avoid it, no,” was her response. Vanessa smiled sadly, grasping Yuki’s hand for comfort. Yuki silently thanked her for the comfort, squeezing back gently. This gesture was of course not lost on Tenna.

 

“Didn’t take you long,” she muttered, biting into a jerky strip. Yuki looked up, her face unreadable, but Tenna could feel the waves of hostility washing off from her.

 

“You’re one to talk,” Yuki coolly replied. “How long after we destroyed the lich did it take for you to swooce my brother? Four minutes? Five?”

 

“At least an hour, dummy. An hour that was preceded by weeks of subtle buildup.”

 

“Did you just call me a dummy?”

 

“I wouldn’t have to if you weren’t being such a dummy, dummy.” Tenna’s grin widened – it’d been so long since she’d pushed Yuki’s buttons, and she was pleased to find that it was as easy as ever.

 

“ _Oh I’ll show you a dummy_!” Yuki exclaimed, fully prepared to show Tenna exactly who the dummy was. She leaped over the table, arms ready for a grapple, but crashed on the floor, having grappled exactly nothing. She spun around, looking for her target, only to realize Tenna was no longer in the room. She heard laughter from afar, realizing the girl had teleported herself to outside the cabin, and if Yuki were seven years younger, she might just have given chase. Now, though, she was tired, and more than a little embarrassed.

 

“Tenna, I’m going to go to bed. You have ten seconds to be indoors or you’ll be locked outside.”

 

“It’s warm out here,” the voice called. “But I don’t mind blankets,” she continued, suddenly directly behind Yuki. She got nothing but a bop on the nose in response, and Yuki headed to her room. Vanessa took the time to actually _grab_ the blankets, as well as some pillows, and set up the couch semi-decently.

 

“She’ll be much better in the morning, I’m sure,” Vanessa said, only to be interrupted by Tenna’s laughter. “What?”

 

“If she’s anything like I remember, she’ll be a pain to me for as long as I live.”

 

“You could start by not being so ornery. People like that.”

 

“Hmm,” Tenna thought. “No.”

 

Vanessa nearly succeeded in fighting off her grin. “Well then, I’m sure your funeral will be aptly attended by people who tolerated you.”

 

“You use smart words. It’s weird to see you talk like you know what’s happening in the world.”

 

“Again, those were Grace’s misunderstandings, not mine. I promise I’ll come to breakfast fully-clothed.”

 

“Or you could not, so I can see the look on Yuki’s face when you’re just out here naked.”

 

“Or, I’ll wear all my clothes, you wear all yours, Yuki wears her clothes, and we all don’t see each other naked until we’re ready, okay?”

 

Tenna gave the young woman a wide grin. “Sounds like a plan. Now go lay with your non-naked sweetie, and let’s all get some sleep. If I have to wake up to you two makin’ noises, I’ll come and stop you. Yuki’s got nothing I haven’t seen before – well, not _nothing_ , but…”

 

Her words served their purpose – Vanessa was well and truly red in the face, eyes wide, as she indignantly attempted to string a sentence together.

 

“I’m not… we… _we haven’t even done anything_!”

 

“Oh but now you’re thinking about it! Goodnight!” and with that, she crawled under the covers, leaving a flustered Vanessa essentially alone in the room. She heard the footsteps walk away, and once the door shut, her snickering grew louder.

 

"Oh, tomorrow will be great.”

 

* * *

 

 

Tenna awoke to the sounds of murmuring in the kitchen. She peeked an eye open to see Yuki and Vanessa enjoying their respective breakfasts, speaking too quietly for Tenna to overhear. She waited, though, for the perfect time to interrupt, and that was when Yuki laughed and leaned in for a kiss. Tenna shadow-stepped to the back corner, behind where they were sitting, and with an obnoxious yawn, proceeded to get their attention.

 

“Goooooood morning Yuki and not-Grace, did you sleep well because I sure did!”

 

The loud ow!s and thumps accompanying her statement were worth the bowl thrown at her face. When she turned back around, she saw both girls rubbing their foreheads and Yuki on the ground, clutching her knee.

 

“Holy shit, Tenna, what is your damage?” Yuki groaned into her arm, now rubbing the pain from her knee.

 

“I just like messing with you. You’re so easy.”

 

“If you could not do that, it’d be much appreciated. Seriously. Stop.”

 

“Stop what?”

 

“Being fucking rude!” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> yes that was a peridot line used for tenna, yes it is perfectly in character i swear


	5. The Royal Wedding

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ryota's wedding news reaches Yuki's continent.

The Wedding of the Century

 

_“A royal wedding was held today in Ryu-Teikoku for Emperor Ryota Meiyoken and the newly crowned Empress Tenna Meiyoken. The celebration lasted the entire day, with the entire country celebrating one more step towards stability. Ryu-Teikoku has been in turmoil for over a decade, ever since the ex-princess Yuki Meiyoken was banished, but with the crowning of the new Empress and Emperor Ryota’s relatively successful attempts at quelling the civil war, the country is more stable than it has been in years._

_“Yuki’s opinion on this matter is unknown, as she hasn’t been seen in over four years, but at this point it’s safe to assume she won’t try to reclaim the throne.”_

“VANESSA DID YOU READ THE PAPER!?!?!?!” a frantically yelling Yuki said as she dashed through the house, paper barely still in-hand.

 

“No, I just skim it for interesting things, I don’t really read it,” Vanessa replied from elsewhere.

 

“I WOULD THINK YOU READ THIS, THEN,” she continued to scream until she finally discovered Vanessa’s location. Vanessa was attempting to have a relaxing bath, book in one hand and glass of simple wine in the other. Any chance of relaxation was obliterated when Yuki nearly kicked the door in. That wasn’t an exaggeration, either – in her excitement, and actual kicking of the door, it splintered at the hinges, and had she chosen to kick it again, it would undoubtedly come off.

 

“ _Yuki, I’m busy!_ ” came Vanessa’s startled cry as she nearly dropped her book into the water. Her drink was less fortunate, though, and stained the bathwater pink. Yuki, in her excitement, failed to hear (or chose to ignore) that and basically shoved the paper in her girlfriend’s less-than-enthused face.

 

“Read the news!!!”

 

“I can’t when it’s two inches from my face, let me _hold the paper myself_ …”

 

Once Vanessa was granted access to the paper, she swiftly rolled it up and bopped Yuki on the nose. “What part of ‘Yuki, I am busy,’ did you not get?”

 

Yuki’s pout did little to deter Vanessa’s annoyed glare, so she sighed and explained herself.

 

“I read in the paper that Ryota got married, and I was so excited, I just had to show you. I’m sorry I barged in,” and her face was remorseful enough that Vanessa’s anger quickly abated.

 

“Oh, sweetie,” she murmured, “I’m sorry I was snappy. I kind of had a long day, and I needed the calm. You kicking in the door like that… _wasn’t_. But, if you’d like, you can join me. The water’s the perfect temperature,” she added, “and we can talk about what you read.”

 

Yuki nodded, grinning, as she stripped off her clothes to enter the tub. She stopped before getting in completely, noticing the empty glass on the bath rim, and retrieved a new bottle for them to share.

 

“Okay,” she groaned, letting the hot water rush over her, “this is a good idea. We should take baths together more often.”

 

“If you don’t kick down the door again, we’ll see,” Vanessa smirked, and they laughed together.

 

“Okay, so, yeah, Ryota and Tenna got married. So that’s cool, for them,” she re-told Vanessa, “but, I feel kinda bad, y’know?”

 

“And why’s that, hun?” Vanessa asked while gently stroking Yuki’s bicep. She knew Yuki took a particular comfort in the gesture.

 

“Well, for one, I wasn’t there for him, to say congrats…”

 

Vanessa nudged Yuki, knowing there was more to this.

 

“And?”

 

“…and I don’t really like his bride, but I don’t want to say they can’t be together because I’m not that kind of person,” she quickly backtracked, “it’s just that Tenna wasn’t ever really nice to me, then there was the Sami/Maya hellhole, and then I wasn’t great to her…”

 

Yuki sighed, leaning in to Vanessa’s embrace. The younger woman stroked Yuki’s hair, gently humming some random tune, and after a few moments said, “You’ve got a lot unsaid. I’m sorry you have to carry that around with you. Would it help you to write him another letter?”

 

“I don’t think that’s very safe,” she replied, “I’m already a public figure here, I don’t think the world needs Harumi the Swordswoman sending any sort of mail to the new Dragon Emperor. I’m sure he’ll get all sorts of congratulations from nobles, but… I’m not a noble. Not anymore.”

 

“Hmm… well, you will _always_ have me to talk to,” Vanessa said, firmly hugging Yuki. “If something’s ever bothering you, you can always come to me. Just… not directly through the door. Around it.”

 

“Even if you’re comfort bathing?”

 

“Even if I’m comfort bathing,” she chuckled. The two remained in companionable silence for about five minutes, just relaxing. Yuki eventually broke it after reaching for the wine bottle and downing the rest (it was quite a small bottle).

 

“Do you think we’ll get married?” she asked, only semi-worried she’d hear something she didn’t like.

 

“It’d be fun, I’m sure, but… to be honest, I’ve kind of thought of us as married for a little while now. We have our own place, we live together, we’ve been in an immensely successful relationship for years now, and we are literally bathing together. We’re kind of already married, it’s just not official.” Yuki took a moment to digest the words.

 

Then,

 

“Do… you want to get married someday?”

 

“Well,” she started, “yeah, maybe someday. I’d always thought I would, you know, since I’m, er, _was_ the heir to the throne. I’d marry a handsome man, we’d have a kickass kid, and that’d be that.

 

“Then, I met Sami, and suddenly, it wasn’t a man I was seeing on the throne. It was us, ruling together as best friends, and I had some abstract child running around somewhere. And then, I fell in love with her, and suddenly it was us ruling together.

 

“ _Then_ there was a period of time where I thought I’d just be on the throne alone, or in some arranged marriage, but I don’t like remembering thinking of that.

 

“And now, when I think of my future self, I don’t really think of a wedding. I see you, right next to me, and that’s enough.”

 

Vanessa smiled so widely at Yuki’s words she feared her jaw might lock. She responded by gently kissing Yuki’s nose, and then hugging her even closer. By this time, the water had become lukewarm, but neither cared, they were so content. However, Vanessa and Yuki both drew the line at pruning, so they left the cool water in exchange for warm blankets, happy at the direction their life together appeared to be heading.

 

It’d be nearly three more years before they actually got engaged, but like they said, they just needed to be together.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> slow ending but god i am sleeeeeeepy


	6. Eight Years Later

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Eight years after the Battle, Yuki has a Mighty Need.

Vanessa walked home as she did every day from her job owning the nearby small bookstore. She’d got the job accidentally – it turned out the owner’s eyesight was failing, and after Vanessa mistakenly placed her rented book back in the wrong section (because all of the books there were in the wrong section) she re-sorted the entire area, staying for hours and causing the owner to ask if he could pay her for her work, even though she did it of her own free will. She came back the next day, and the next, and on the fourth day of sorting, the aged storeowner presented her with a (large-print) contract, which she happily signed. The owner died a few years later, and, having no children or remaining family of his own, left everything he owned to Vanessa. She gladly inherited the bookstore, and his meager savings, and sold the rest of his belongings, not desiring them nor needing them, as her and Yuki’s place was full enough of their own stuff.

 

Her walk always took her past a bakery, and since it was a Tuesday, the special was a glazed, deep-fried treat which she’d grown to utterly adore. She grabbed four (in case she snacked on the way home), left a considerable tip, and continued onward.

 

Her next stop was the weekly paper. Yuki enjoyed reading the world’s news, particularly the section relating to Vaisura. The papers seldom even mentioned Yuki, but she only read them to see how her brother fared. Every week she dreaded reading his obituary, and every week she’d been pleasantly relieved. She knew Ryota was a formidable force, but he wasn’t immortal. So far though, he seemed to be doing fine. The Empire still _existed_ , after all.

 

Vanessa picked up the paper, giving it a cursory read-through like she did every week to ensure that Yuki’s brother was still alive. She knew that if, _Goddess forbid_ , she had to read of her almost brother-in-law’s passing, that she wouldn’t let Yuki find out any way besides her informing her.

 

And when she read the news this week, and there was no mention of a new ruler in Ryu-Teikoku, she knew in this case that no news was indeed good news.

 

She opened the door as she did every day, at almost eight o’clock on the dot. What was different this day was the overwhelming _lack_ of Yuki waiting for her. Yuki knew damn well when Vanessa got home – she purposely scheduled things to avoid being around eight if possible so she could greet her girlfriend at the door. But there was no Yuki tonight…

 

Vanessa frowned, tightly gripping the doorknob while setting her dough-rings quietly on the ground. _Is someone here?_ She twisted the knob and shut the door as quietly as possible, certain that no unwanted intruders would have heard the quiet _click_ as the door latched into place. She left it unlocked, however, in case she needed to make a quick escape. She snuck into the next room, grabbing a hammer that Yuki found one day and insisted leave on the table as a “decoration.”

 

_“It looks badass. Anyone who visits us will think, ‘Why do these people have a hammer sitting out? Oh, it must be because they’re badass. Plus, our living room suffers from a severe lack of weapons lying about.”_

_“No it doesn’t! The living room is fine! There are at least three swords in the bedroom, can there be at least_ one _room left untouched by weapons?”_

_“The… bathroom… doesn’t have any weapons in it.”_

_*Sigh* “Well if you’re going to have the hammer out here, then can I move my dictionary out here too?”_

_“But it’s so dusty…”_

_“And your hammer is rusty!”_

_“Okay fine. But they shouldn’t have to share a table.”_

_“So we need a new table…”_

Suddenly leaving the hammer on the table didn’t seem like such a bad idea, Vanessa realized as she felt a hundred times better with the weapon in her hand. It wasn’t remarkably heavy or even really built for battle, and she was far from a skilled fighter, but with enough momentum on the right places, she knew she could do some real damage.

 

Someone’s footsteps echoed in the bedroom. They were throwing things around, likely searching for valuables. Vanessa glared – how dare someone raid their room? That was an incredibly private and intimate place, and some lowly ruffian was just desecrating their space like it meant nothing?

 

She gripped the hammer tighter with her right hand as her left crept toward the door. She grabbed the doorknob and silently counted to three, and on three she threw the door open and rushed into the room.

 

“ _WHO DO YOU THINK YOU A_ -Oh, Yuki, hey, you weren’t waiting for me…” She paused, realizing that perhaps assuming “intruder” rather than “person who lives here” was quite a jump. Then she saw what Yuki was doing. “Are you going somewhere?”

 

“Hmm? Oh, hey,” Yuki said, turning to face Vanessa. “I was just packing some things… why are you holding the table hammer?”

 

“You weren’t at the door, and I just thought you… might… be… an intruder…” her voice grew quieter as she grew sheepish, feeling incredibly sillier by the moment.

 

Yuki laughed, a grin stretching across her face as she pulled Vanessa in for a hug. She kissed her forehead to assure her they were safe, then grabbed the hammer and placed it on the bed. “I assure you, it’s just us in the house right now. No one’s dared to even step on the grass since last time, let alone _steal_ from us, remember?”

 

Vanessa chuckled as the memories came back – a couple of thieves tried to sneak in one night, but Yuki happened to be awake, and the lesson they learned about breaking-and-entering wasn’t one that’d ever be forgotten.

 

“I remember,” she said, softly kissing Yuki, “so now that I know we’re okay, do you want to explain what you’re packing for?”

 

“Oh! Um, yeah, sure, but we should probably sit down for this.”

 

That seemed to be the wrong thing to say, as Vanessa stiffened in Yuki’s arms, and her eyes grew wide. “Why? Is something wrong?”

 

“No, no! It’s just something big, and I think it would be better discussed over food, so we don’t have to stand for a while and be hungry.”

 

“…sure. Meet me in the kitchen in ten minutes?”

 

Yuki nodded, then hugged Vanessa again for good measure, and resumed her packing. Sure enough, after ten minutes had passed, and Yuki was mostly packed, she walked into the kitchen, where she saw Vanessa sitting with two cups of tea and a plate of sandwiches, as well as the fried dough she always brought home on Tuesdays-

 

“Wait, where’s the paper? You always bring home a Tuesday paper.”

 

“He’s fine, Yuki, business as usual. You can read the rest of it after you tell me what you’re packing for.”

 

“Sure,” she nodded, “well, when I got up this morning, I just felt like… something real important happened today, or was going to happen. Sure enough, when I checked the calendar, I realized that it’s been eight years since… since the Lich fight.”

 

“Wow. Wow, it’s really been eight years.”

 

“I know, right?” Yuki gently smiled, “It’s been so long. But I got to thinking, and I realized, that it’d also been eight years after I was banished, that I got to see home again, at least in a sense. And I love it here, so much, I love every moment with you, but I just felt the _strongest_ pull to go back, you know? At least… at least stop by. So then I thought, hey, what’s stopping me? Of course,” she backtracked, noticing Vanessa’s raised eyebrows, “I’d want you to come with me, so that’s why I didn’t just up-and-leave, but I did spend a large part of today selling some of my cooler knick-knacks and doing some heavy lifting to get some money for the trip, so that’s why I only got started packing a little bit ago. So yeah, that’s how my day’s been going.”

 

“Well… I’m definitely relieved that you weren’t just going to leave me in the middle of the night,” Vanessa chuckled darkly, “but I’m not going to lie… this seems like a dangerous idea. If anyone catches wind of your trip, or that you’re back, you’re going to get dragged into the politics, and I’m… I’m really comfortable here, with the bookstore, and our home, and we’ve got it good here.”

 

“I know, and I don’t intend to stay for more than a week. And that’s stretching it. I just… I really feel like this feeling won’t go away until I go. And again, I would love to have you with me, but if you really don’t want to go, I’m going to go by myself. I just… need to do this.”

 

“This seems very impulsive. Have you put any real thought to this before today?”

 

Yuki stuttered, frowning at Vanessa’s words. “Well, no, but-”

 

“So you just wake up and think, ‘Hey, I wanna go visit home for a sec, just check up.’”

 

The two women frowned at each other in silence for a few moments before Yuki stood up.

 

“Yeah, okay, that’s what happened, but it’ll be fine, no one will even know I’m there and it’ll be a short visit!”

 

Vanessa stood up too, “But it’s not just a visit! It’s not just your alter-ego Harumi M. visiting her family, _it’s the goddamned exiled ex-heir to the throne_ going to potentially visit her brother, The Emperor, if he’ll even deign to see her!! And if anyone else puts two-and-two together, you’ll have the entire country clamoring at your feet, either pleading for you to stay or crying out for your head! It isn’t a small visit, Yuki!”

 

“But I have to go back, okay! Don’t you trust me?”

 

“ _Of course_ I do, but it’s not you I’m worried about, it’s everyone else!”

 

“I can take care of myself!”

 

“I know that!”

 

“Then what are you afraid of!?”

 

“Losing you! Assassins! Political shittery! You deciding to-” Vanessa couldn’t finish that thought, though. It was too dangerous – saying the words would make them real. She held her breath, praying her tears of anger wouldn’t fall, and hoping that Yuki wouldn’t make her follow up on her thought. The tense atmosphere wasn’t kind to their silence, though, and Yuki couldn’t bear not knowing.

 

“Me deciding to… what?”

 

“Stay,” she whispered, and collapsed back down in her chair. “I’m afraid you’ll go back, see what you’re missing, and…and you’ll want to stay,” she whispered, staring right at Yuki, “you’ll leave me, go run your kingdom like you always wanted, and you’ll realize you can do better than this,” and when she said that, she gestured to the living room, walls, to all of their stuff.

 

Yuki, for her part, had calmed considerably, and when she heard Vanessa’s words, she kneeled down next to her, and suddenly the tension was gone – or rather, replaced with a different, less suffocating, kind.

 

“How long have you been worrying about this?” She asked, her voice cracking slightly.

 

Vanessa rolled her eyes, then huffed, crossing her arms as she said, “A while.”

 

“ _How long_?”

 

“Pretty much since we knew we were going to travel and stay together. So, like, seven-and-a-half years.” At the admission, Yuki’s eyebrows furrowed as she tried to figure out how she missed this incredibly important detail. “But, it wasn’t something I dwelled on! It was just a fleeting thought, but as we stayed together, and we got closer, I stopped really worrying about that, you know? And it wasn’t until tonight that it ever felt like a real possibility.”

 

Yuki stood up and walked to their room, and Vanessa was nearly certain she was grabbing her bag to walk out right then, but she returned with only her hands behind her back. Vanessa searched Yuki’s face for any clues as to what she was planning, but there was only fierce determination.

 

Yuki paused a few feet away from Vanessa, taking a moment to think about what she wanted to do, then started speaking, no trace of anger or sadness left in her voice. “Do you remember the first week after we left Ryu-Teikoku? Because I do. Vividly. I couldn’t eat, I couldn’t sleep, I could hardly think, but you, a near-stranger, held me and cared for me and kept me sane. And that wasn’t just the first week – I had nightmares for months afterward, I still do, sometimes. But through all of that, there was a constant. You. You helped me deal with everything I’d had to do, and you were there for everything I did to keep us alive. You’re my light in the darkness, Vanessa, and I love you, so much.”

 

With that, she pulled out her surprise from behind her back. It was a jade necklace, with the chain being an obsidian necklace she’d found at a shop, strangely just like they used to make in Ryu-Teikoku. Yuki learned that they’d recently begun trading trinkets made of Dragonsteel and obsidian to bolster money for war reparations, and it was quite nice to hold a new piece of her old home. She instantly bought the necklace, and upon spotting the piece of jade in a nearby case, bought it too (jade being Vanessa’s favorite gemstone) and jogged to the nearest forge. She paid for the jade to be polished and shaped into a more crystalline shape (she bought it as a lump, unformed) and then set into a holder to be clipped onto the chain. Unfortunately, the smith lacked the obsidian and the forging know-how to make a clip, but black iron did the job well enough, and she left him a hefty tip for his beautiful work.

 

“I meant to give this to you later, on your birthday, but what the hell, today is as good as any. You are my world now, and Ryu-Teikoku will always be my home, and I’ll always be connected to the place, but you’re where my heart lies, and that will never be overcome by anything. So I got this for you, this necklace. I found the chain and jade at the same shop, and took it to a smith to have it bonded together. I figured the chain, made from obsidian, represents me, forged from the dragon’s fire and wrought by the world. And then there’s the jade, and I really got it because you love it, but I asked and apparently it represents creativity, which you certainly have, and healing, which I am living proof that you are a source of healing. And both the jade and the obsidian are well-known for their longevity, so this necklace should last for quite a while… and I was hoping, perhaps… forever?” And with the question, she looked back up at Vanessa, having drifted her attention to the necklace somewhere in the middle of her surprise-proposal.

 

Vanessa did a double-take at Yuki’s words. Her mood had been thrown around all night, so to be suddenly proposed to wasn’t something she could have ever expected to come from this night.

 

But that didn’t mean she wasn’t absolutely delighted. She jumped up out of her chair, and crossed the distance in one step, deeply kissing Yuki and then grabbing the necklace to take a closer look.

 

“…so is that a yes, because you didn’t actually say anything…”

 

“Yes, my dear sweet fool, I’ll marry you, of course! I was just so… thrown, you know?”

 

Yuki laughed, a real full laugh, knowing exactly what Vanessa meant. “It _has_ been a tough night. Very tense, very… not.” She clasped the chain around Vanessa’s neck, noting how great it looked and how much it complimented her eyes.

 

“Yeah, this was a welcome respite… But, you, uh, didn’t just propose to make things less weird, right?”

 

“No, not at all. I’ve been wanting to do this for… quite a while now, but I didn’t really have a set date planned, but then you were saying how you didn’t think I would stay for you and I just had to tell you… I just had to let you know _exactly_ how much I would stay for you. And also,” she grinned mischievously, “I just had to prove that even when I don’t plan things all the way through, they can still end well.”

 

They both laughed, knowing that there’d definitely have to be more talking the next day (because as much as Yuki would like to think she didn’t need to plan a secret trip home – she _did_ ) and Yuki picked up Vanessa, happily carrying her to their room, where she promptly shoved her mostly-packed bag off of the bed, deciding that perhaps the bed had a better use it could be put to.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ok they weren't supposed to get engaged here but as i was writing, it just happened


End file.
